Second hacker who targeted celebrity Apple accounts sentenced to 9 months in prison

A Chicago man who pleaded guilty to hacking into the Apple email and cloud storage accounts of multiple celebrities in 2014 was on Thursday sentenced to nine months behind bars.

In September, Edward Majerczyk, 29, became the second person to plead guilty to felony computer hacking charges for his role in a phishing scheme targeting more than 300 iCloud and Google Gmail users, some of them Hollywood celebrities. The hack ultimately exposed nude images of A-list personalities.

As per the plea deal, Majerczyk this week was sentenced to nine months in prison, reports CBS Chicago. He was also ordered to pay $5,700 to an unnamed victim -- one of two who sought restitution in the case -- who spent $11,400 on counseling as a result of the intrusion, the report said.

Though Majerczyk admitted to the phishing scheme, he claims no involvement in the subsequent distribution of risqu&acutee photos and video. Dubbed "Celebgate," the incident saw private photos and video belonging to prominent public figures circulate through the dark web before wide distribution via file sharing protocols like BitTorrent.

At the time, media reports incorrectly pinned the leak on an alleged iCloud data breach. Apple quickly denied those claims. It was later learned through the testimony of Majerczyk and another "Celebgate" hacker that social engineering was to blame.

Majerczyk is the second person to be charged and sentenced in relation to the scandal. Last year, Ryan Collins of Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to successfully phishing for, and accessing, data from 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts. Collins was sentenced to 18 months in prison last October.

Comments

So the first guy gets 18 months for phishing 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts and the second guy gets 9 months, half the time, for hacking Apple emails and cloud storage ?!? What the...??? The justice system needs better unification.

So the first guy gets 18 months for phishing 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts and the second guy gets 9 months, half the time, for hacking Apple emails and cloud storage ?!? What the...??? The justice system needs better unification.

So the first guy gets 18 months for phishing 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts and the second guy gets 9 months, half the time, for hacking Apple emails and cloud storage ?!? What the...??? The justice system needs better unification.

Nobody hacked Apple. It was all phishing and social engineering. The different sentences reflect what was done with the pics after they were stolen.

sorry I don't see this as a crime per se. If someone correctly guesses your password, that results in jail-time? "Hacking" is a different matter, but this is just poor password protection from the "victim".

Hell, I've forgotton my own password and social-engineered myself to get it back. Done it for relatives and friends too who forgot their passwords. Should I send myself to jail now?

sorry I don't see this as a crime per se. If someone correctly guesses your password, that results in jail-time? "Hacking" is a different matter, but this is just poor password protection from the "victim".

Hell, I've forgotton my own password and social-engineered myself to get it back. Done it for relatives and friends too who forgot their passwords. Should I send myself to jail now?

I hate that "He left his door unlocked so it's acceptable to loot his house" blame the victim argument.

sorry I don't see this as a crime per se. If someone correctly guesses your password, that results in jail-time? "Hacking" is a different matter, but this is just poor password protection from the "victim".

Hell, I've forgotton my own password and social-engineered myself to get it back. Done it for relatives and friends too who forgot their passwords. Should I send myself to jail now?

I hate that "He left his door unlocked so it's acceptable to loot his house" blame the victim argument.

An open door to a house in not a successful defense -- just about everywhere (in the US) this is either burglary or B&E. Some states don't have a B&E law i.e., only burglary -- although I never got the connection before now, it makes sense. Entry without permission is not legal.

So the first guy gets 18 months for phishing 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts and the second guy gets 9 months, half the time, for hacking Apple emails and cloud storage ?!? What the...??? The justice system needs better unification.

There was no hacking Apple emails and iCloud storage. It was all social engineering.

"At the time, media reports incorrectly pinned the leak on an alleged iCloud data breach. Apple quickly denied those claims. It was later learned through the testimony of Majerczyk and another “Celebgate” hacker that social engineering was to blame.”

Get your facts straight. Apple’s servers were NOT compromised, passwords were phished.

sorry I don't see this as a crime per se. If someone correctly guesses your password, that results in jail-time? "Hacking" is a different matter, but this is just poor password protection from the "victim".

Hell, I've forgotton my own password and social-engineered myself to get it back. Done it for relatives and friends too who forgot their passwords. Should I send myself to jail now?

Well, contrary to your twisted logic, it IS a crime and it’s called unauthorized access. The victims did not authorized access to their accounts. As another has pointed out if I leave my door open so you can walk in and take something it’s still a crime of burglary. If your relatives did not give you permission to access their account then yes, you should be in jail.